The kitchen island I am finishing is planned to have 2 regular drawers on top, side by side. Then 2 large drawers below, 1on top of the other. These 2 will be 9.5x36x20. My friend was saying he thought that having 36" wide drawers would be bad as they would get heavy and bind up. He felt I should split each in half. Thoughts?

Jim

jtpr wrote in
.
com:

The kitchen island I am finishing is planned to have 2 regular drawers
on top, side by side. Then 2 large drawers below, 1on top of the
other. These 2 will be 9.5x36x20. My friend was saying he thought
that having 36" wide drawers would be bad as they would get heavy and
bind up. He felt I should split each in half. Thoughts?

Jim

We've got a couple big trays that are close to that size in an island.
With the various pans and cooling racks in there, they still slide nicely.
They are commercial cabinets, so I have no idea what they used for the
slide.

The biggest problem with them (by far) is they're trays and not real
drawers. Things get stacked and then fall into the cabinet.

Puckdropper

On 4/24/2011 3:35 PM, jtpr wrote:
The kitchen island I am finishing is planned to have 2 regular drawers on top, side by side. Then 2 large drawers below, 1on top of the other. These 2 will be 9.5x36x20. My friend was saying he thought that having 36" wide drawers would be bad as they would get heavy and bind up. He felt I should split each in half. Thoughts?

Properly designed, and properly mounted, that wide a drawer will
certainly work, despite a heavy load.

However, unless you have made lots of drawers, you may want to run your
drawer building techniques past some eyes that have.

FWIW, here's a MINIMUM design for a 36" width drawer that, with heavy
duty slides (like the KV-8800 series), will stand up to heavy duty use
and hold at least 100lbs, if not more, that will probably stand up to
most kitchen island use:

http://e-woodshop.net/images/WideDrawer.jpg

If you use Sketchup:

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehou...c2cd006d206129

As designed above, and with heavy duty, side mounted slides like the
KV8800 series, this drawer would fit in a 37 1/2" rough opening ... to
make it fit a 36" opening, narrow the drawer width to 34 1/2", and the
components correspondingly.

No matter what, and when making drawers that mount with slides of any
kind, decide upon your drawer slides before you design and build your
drawers.

With most standard duty, side mounted, full extension drawer slides, the
drawer width is usually 1" narrower than the rough opening; with heavy
duty, side mounted, full extension drawer slides you can expect the
drawer to be 1 1/2" narrower than the rough opening ... double check
before building.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"jtpr" wrote in message
...

The kitchen island I am finishing is planned to have 2 regular drawers on
top, side by side. Then 2 large drawers below, 1on top of the other. These
2 will be 9.5x36x20. My friend was saying he thought that having 36" wide
drawers would be bad as they would get heavy and bind up. He felt I should
split each in half. Thoughts?

Jim
..
Put in 3, 36"wide by 24" deep by 4" tall drawers in my kitchen re-do 20+
years ago. These hold pots and pans and so far they still perform very
nicely. I used 100# rated KV full extension slides. I also used 1/4
plywood for bottoms, and again plenty strong. Further I have been doing
this ever since, still no problems.

On Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:41:49 -0700, Morgans wrote:

Get quality full
extension ball bearing slides, and no problems. I have similar drawers
and love them.

And I've done them with no slides at all - just birch on birch. But if
they're going to hold over 50 pounds each I'd also go with the slides or
at least a little UHMW over the birch.



--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:41:49 -0700, Morgans wrote:

Get quality full
extension ball bearing slides, and no problems. I have similar drawers
and love them.

And I've done them with no slides at all - just birch on birch. But if
they're going to hold over 50 pounds each I'd also go with the slides or
at least a little UHMW over the birch.




For the kitchen I would go with slides but I just built a tool cabinet with
drawers made of Baltic birch ply and they run on maple. I put .020 X 3/4 W.
UHMW on the Maple.
Works "slick". ;-)

Max

"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in message
nicely. I used 100# rated KV full extension slides. I also used 1/4
plywood for bottoms, and again plenty strong.

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind, but I imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important detail is
the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable strength and support.

"Upscale" wrote in message
...


"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote in message
nicely. I used 100# rated KV full extension slides. I also used 1/4
plywood for bottoms, and again plenty strong.

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind, but I imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important detail is
the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable strength and support.

That is some thing to consider however when my wife doubted 1/4" plywood in
the 24" x 36" drawers I put the drawer on the floor upside down and stood on
it. It did bow however I was 2~3 times the weight that the drawers were
ever going to see. My drawer sides were constructed of 3/4" lumber core.
Drawer dados were 3/8" deep and 1/2" from the bottom.

On 4/25/2011 6:50 AM, Leon wrote:


"Upscale" wrote in message

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind, but I
imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important detail is
the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable strength and support.

That is some thing to consider however when my wife doubted 1/4" plywood
in the 24" x 36" drawers I put the drawer on the floor upside down and
stood on it. It did bow however I was 2~3 times the weight that the
drawers were ever going to see. My drawer sides were constructed of 3/4"
lumber core. Drawer dados were 3/8" deep and 1/2" from the bottom.

1/4" bottoms is what I use when I build mine. But, when I build them
that wide for someone else I use 1/2" bottoms so there is little chance
I will ever get a call back.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

On 4/25/2011 6:50 AM, Leon wrote:


"Upscale" wrote in message

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind, but I
imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important detail is
the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable strength and support.

That is some thing to consider however when my wife doubted 1/4" plywood
in the 24" x 36" drawers I put the drawer on the floor upside down and
stood on it. It did bow however I was 2~3 times the weight that the
drawers were ever going to see. My drawer sides were constructed of 3/4"
lumber core. Drawer dados were 3/8" deep and 1/2" from the bottom.

1/4" bottoms is what I use when I build mine. But, when I build them
that wide for someone else I use 1/2" bottoms so there is little chance
I will ever get a call back.

How is Durrette coming along?

In article , lcb11211
@swbelldotnet says...

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

On 4/25/2011 6:50 AM, Leon wrote:


"Upscale" wrote in message

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind, but I
imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important detail is
the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable strength and support.

That is some thing to consider however when my wife doubted 1/4" plywood
in the 24" x 36" drawers I put the drawer on the floor upside down and
stood on it. It did bow however I was 2~3 times the weight that the
drawers were ever going to see. My drawer sides were constructed of 3/4"
lumber core. Drawer dados were 3/8" deep and 1/2" from the bottom.

1/4" bottoms is what I use when I build mine. But, when I build them
that wide for someone else I use 1/2" bottoms so there is little chance
I will ever get a call back.

Nobody ever complains when you built something too strong (unless it's a
breakaway prop for a movie set).

I tend to run the sagulator and size things accordingly as simply
supported shelves. Then any reinforcement adds strength.

How is Durrette coming along?

On Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:15:35 -0500, "Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:



"Swingman" wrote in message
...

On 4/25/2011 6:50 AM, Leon wrote:


"Upscale" wrote in message

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind, but I
imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important detail is
the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable strength and support.

That is some thing to consider however when my wife doubted 1/4" plywood
in the 24" x 36" drawers I put the drawer on the floor upside down and
stood on it. It did bow however I was 2~3 times the weight that the
drawers were ever going to see. My drawer sides were constructed of 3/4"
lumber core. Drawer dados were 3/8" deep and 1/2" from the bottom.

1/4" bottoms is what I use when I build mine. But, when I build them
that wide for someone else I use 1/2" bottoms so there is little chance
I will ever get a call back.

How is Durrette coming along?

Y'mean Tourette? How is that old cuss?


--
Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences.
No good is ever done in this world by hesitation.
-- Thomas H. Huxley

Larry Jaques wrote:

On Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:15:35 -0500, "Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet
wrote:



"Swingman" wrote in message
...

On 4/25/2011 6:50 AM, Leon wrote:


"Upscale" wrote in message

I've never built drawers of the width that the OP has in mind,
but I imagine
that aside from suitable drawer slides, the next most important
detail is the incorporation of drawer bottoms with suitable
strength and support.

That is some thing to consider however when my wife doubted 1/4"
plywood in the 24" x 36" drawers I put the drawer on the floor
upside down and stood on it. It did bow however I was 2~3 times
the weight that the drawers were ever going to see. My drawer
sides were constructed of 3/4" lumber core. Drawer dados were
3/8" deep and 1/2" from the bottom.

1/4" bottoms is what I use when I build mine. But, when I build
them that wide for someone else I use 1/2" bottoms so there is
little chance I will ever get a call back.

How is Durrette coming along?

Y'mean Tourette? How is that old cuss?

Only on a small arse

On Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:35:44 -0700 (PDT), jtpr wrote:

The kitchen island I am finishing is planned to have 2 regular drawers on top, side by side. Then 2 large drawers below, 1on top of the other. These 2 will be 9.5x36x20. My friend was saying he thought that having 36" wide drawers would be bad as they would get heavy and bind up. He felt I should split each in half. Thoughts?

Jim

Depends on whether they are for show or utility,
I dated a gal once that had really big drawers, they slide
just fine even though they were carrying a fairly wide load.


basilisk

I could never get turned on with rollers though.

--------------------

"basilisk" wrote in message
.. .
Depends on whether they are for show or utility,
I dated a gal once that had really big drawers, they slide
just fine even though they were carrying a fairly wide load.


basilisk